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East Tennessee State University will host one of 22 Bands of America Regional Championships held across the nation this fall. The event will take place Oct. 30 in the ETSU Mini Dome.
The box office opens at 10:15 a.m., and gates will open at 10:45 a.m. Sixteen of the top bands in Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida will compete throughout the day, and the top 12 bands will advance to finals in the evening. ETSU’s Marching Bucs will perform their 2021 halftime show in exhibition at 4:15 p.m. just prior to preliminary awards. Finals will start at 7 p.m. with gates opening 30 minutes prior.
“Hosting a Bands of America regional championship is a huge win for our university and the Appalachian Highlands,” said ETSU President Brian Noland. “Bands of America events are the pinnacle of competitive marching band, and it is inspiring to see the results of hard work and dedication as high school students perform on our campus. We are proud to host these talented musicians, and we hope they will see our commitment to music education and find a home at ETSU during their visit.”
The ETSU Marching Bucs will assist throughout the day’s events.
“We are excited to host and meet the talented students participating in the regional championship this year,” said Joe Moore, Athletic Bands director. “This is an excellent opportunity to show high school students thinking about college why our Marching Bucs program is outstanding. On competition day, they’ll be able to visit our campus, get to know the Marching Bucs and learn more about what ETSU and the region offers to students interested in music.”
ETSU last hosted the Bands of America Regional Championship in 2019, when local high school, Dobyns-Bennett, finished second overall in finals competition. Dobyns-Bennett went on to place in the top 12 at the Bands of America Grand Nationals Championship. The band will be competing this year at the regional championship along with another Grand National Finalist, Tarpon Springs High School, of Tarpon Springs, Fla.
“The Bands of America Regional Championship has a major impact on our region by promoting music education and the university in addition to supporting the local economy,” said David Golden, ETSU Research Corporation chief executive officer. “This year’s competition will bring thousands of people to the Appalachian Highlands and is a great opportunity for the campus and our region to showcase the many things that make this a world-class place to work, live and play.” 
Golden is on the board of directors for Music for All, which is the non-profit, parent organization for Bands of America with a mission to support positive experiences through music. Created in 1976 and with more than one million alumni, Bands of America is the governing body for U.S. high school marching band competitions with annual regional, super-regional and grand national competitions.
This year’s regional championships are presented by Yamaha, and Ballad Health is the title sponsor of the Johnson City regional.
For more information and to purchase tickets to the Bands of America Regional Championship, visit marching.musicforall.org/schedule/.